The Atlanta Hawks take on the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs starting on Sunday the 23rd of May. As the fifth-seeded team, they will have to travel to Madison Square Gardens for the first two games.
The Hawks are in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and they have done this thanks to their young core meshing well with the veterans. They have a number of players who have plenty to prove this postseason, and it is not just those in their first series.
Fortunately for the Hawks, they are coming back to fitness at the right time. Only Cam Reddish is on the long-term injury list. Given all the issues they have had over the season with injuries, this is a blessing for the Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are riding momentum into the series.
The Hawks have won eight of their last nine games, with the only blemish on their record being the away loss to the Indiana Pacers. Trae Young was named player of the week for the final week of the season, an honor that should have come a lot earlier this season.
Also, most pundits only believed the Hawks would be a play-in team so the fact they have qualified in the fifth seed is an incredible achievement. They need to use the momentum they have gained from this to carry them as far they can go into the postseason.
With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at the three keys for the Atlanta Hawks to win their first-round series against the New York Knicks.